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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. squash — to crush
  10. firm — decided
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to click
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. firm — a company
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com